The Art of Smart Timing
Don't even bother scheduling a trip for the first full week in August when more than 600,000 bikers, vendors and motorcycle enthusiast crowd the area. It can be some of the most intriguing people watching in the nation, but not necessarily for the kids. It's certainly not worth extra traffic and higher lodging prices. Rooms and even campsites -- especially at Custer State Park -- often book by April for mid-June through August. Try for an early June vacation to beat crowds and enjoy seeing cinnamon-colored bison calves and newborn mountain goats and burros.
Spring in the Black Hills is one of the best-kept secrets for wildlife lovers. Animals can be easily spotted along roadsides where they munch on vegetation that greens up more quickly than in the shaded woods. September through mid-October also can be spectacular with crisp days and aspen leaves shining gold against the dark green pines.
Getting There
You can book flights to Rapid City and rent a vehicle or camper for the 30-minute drive into the Black Hills. There is no public transportation, but you can find guided tours. Most people road trip from their home states. You'll find almost all 50 of them represented on license plates at Mount Rushmore.
Getting Around
Anyone who doesn't want to drive through the Hills or rent a car can find tours and guide services, including a narrated GPS program, with help from the Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes Association.
Insider Tips
Get up early. If you want the best light at Mount Rushmore for photos, hit the road early. The same goes for photographing and spotting wildlife. Not a morning person? Go just before sundown, when light softens again and animals are active and eating.
Don't approach wildlife. Custer State Park's begging burros are fairly harmless other than startling toddlers or a family dog with a snout popping through the window. Cute little prairie dogs, however, are a bigger worry. As tempting as it is to get close, they do bite and can carry bubonic plague. Stay in the car or on trails to enjoy their interactions and chirps.
The same goes for bison. Don't even think about touching one of these shaggy, one-ton giants or even getting close -- especially if calves are present. They are a force to be reckoned with and surprisingly fast.
Pack binoculars or a telephoto lens and trust that with more than 1,500 bison in the park, you can count on great views and wonderful photos.
Visitors Bureaus
Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes Association
South Dakota Tourism
Black Hills Planning & Tips
Black Hills Planning & Tips
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